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ARB Newsclips for June 30, 2014.
This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with
individual websites to view some of the following news articles.
CAP AND TRADE
Industry groups stir opposition to a cap-and-trade expansion they
say will lead to higher gas prices. In a conference call with
oil industry analysts in late 2012, Mike Wirth, a Chevron Corp.
executive, took stock of California’s greenhouse gas reduction
policies and warned that the state’s plan to expand its
controversial cap-and-trade program to vehicle fuels in 2015
would result in higher prices at the pump. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/30/6521238/industry-groups-stir-opposition.html
California earmarks a quarter of its cap-and-trade riches for
environmental justice. One-quarter of the $872 million generated
by California's 18-month-old cap-and-trade scheme will go to
housing and public transit programs for poor and minority
communities this year, according to the recently approved state
budget. The decision caps a long fight by environmental justice
advocates over how much of the state's carbon proceeds…Posted.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/29/231840/california-earmarks-a-quarter.html
Dem lawmakers worry California’s cap-and-trade expansion will
drive up gas prices. A group of California Democrats is having
second thoughts about the state's expanding cap-and-trade
program, urging Gov. Jerry Brown's administration to rethink the
plan out of concern that it will drive up gas prices and hurt
low-income residents. Posted.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/30/dems-worry-californias-cap-and-trade-expansion-will-drive-up-gas-prices/
Activists say California fighting pollution globally but not
locally. In the Bay Area oil port city of Martinez, where a
colossal Shell refinery has long tainted the air, the landmark
California law that requires polluters to ease their carbon
footprint seemed to some to promise new relief. But one big move
by Shell to comply with rules on greenhouse gas emissions won't
do much for Martinez. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fi-climate-credits-20140630-story.html
Worst Bay Area Polluters Being Let Off The Hook? In the Bay Area,
residents are constantly reminded to ‘spare the air’, but air
quality managers may be letting some of the worst polluters off
the hook. Chevron runs the Bay Area’s biggest, and busiest oil
refinery, and they are mandated to keep careful tabs on air
emissions. Posted.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/06/29/398744-chevron-refinery-pollution-polluter-bay-area-air-quality-management-district-gas-oil-spare-the-air-particulates-epa-regulation/
AIR POLLUTION
Burn notice for homeowners: Keep it clean to keep it safe. The
plants are whispering that peak fire season is upon us, months
ahead of schedule. Consult the calendar and you’ll see it’s late
June, but send a sample of sage through the scientific furnace
and the plants’ dryness will indicate it’s late July, August or
even September. Posted.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fire-627358-year-season.html
ARB fines 19 consumer products companies for air pollution
violations. The California Air resources Board (ARB) yesterday
announced the settlement of 19 cases involving violations of air
pollution regulations related to consumer products. Fines
totaling $233,175 were issued to companies which either
manufactured or sold products such as nail polish removers,
bathroom cleaners, air fresheners, charcoal lighters, and
automotive products. Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/article/arb-fines-19-consumer-products-companies-for-air-pollution-violations
CLIMATE CHANGE
NASA to launch global warming satellite after loss. Five years
after a NASA satellite to track carbon dioxide plunged into the
ocean after liftoff, the space agency is launching a carbon copy
- this time on a different rocket. The $468 million mission is
designed to study the main driver of climate change emitted from
smokestacks and tailpipes. Some of the carbon dioxide is sucked
up by trees and oceans…Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CARBON_SATELLITE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/science/nasa-launching-satellite-to-track-carbon.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/06/29/nasa-global-warming-satellite/11725253/
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4606575-nasa-to-launch-satellite-to-track-global-warming-after-2009-failure/
http://time.com/2940876/nasa-global-warming-satellite/
Climate-Change Proposal in U.S. Poses Pascal’s Wager: Economy.
The Environmental Protection Agency calls its carbon rules an
economic winner that will deliver more than $10 in benefits for
each dollar spent on compliance. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
says the economic costs of implementing the greenhouse-gas
controls will be much higher than the EPA’s estimates indicate
and will mean lost jobs, bigger electric bills and missed
opportunities for growth. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-30/climate-change-plan-poses-pascal-s-wager-as-both-sides-oversell.html
Climate Change Goes Underwater. When it comes to climate change,
almost all the attention is on the air. What's happening to the
water, however, is just as worrying -- although for the moment it
may be slightly more manageable. Here's the problem in a
seashell: As the oceans absorb about a quarter of the carbon
dioxide released by fossil-fuel burning, the pH level in the
underwater world is falling, creating the marine version of
climate change. Posted.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-06-29/climate-change-goes-underwater
Awakening the ‘Dutch Gene’ of Water Survival. As global climate
change threatens to raise sea levels by as much as four feet by
the end of the century, the authorities here are working to make
real to children the forecasts that may seem far-off, but that
will shape their lives in adulthood and old age. “Everything
works so smoothly that people don’t realize anymore that they are
taking a risk in developing urban areas in low-lying
areas…Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/world/europe/netherlands-water-management-system-global-climate-change-sea-level-rise-dutch-gene.html?_r=0
Health Care System Needs To Prepare For Global Warming. Climate
change is happening, and with that will come more deaths from
heat-related illness and disease, according to a report released
Tuesday. The report, spearheaded and funded by investor and
philanthropist Thomas Steyer, former Treasury Secretary Hank
Paulson, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, examines
many of the effects of climate change for business and
individuals. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/health-care-system-needs-to-prepare-for-global-warming_88858153
Salamanders in the Appalachians are smaller. Some scientists
suggest it could be still another sign of climate change:
Salamanders in the Appalachian Mountains are getting smaller,
they say, because in a drier, warmer climate, the little
cold-blooded creatures use more energy to stay alive. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jun/29/study-salamanders-in-the-appalachians-are-smaller/
Hot cities: Climate change may lead to air stagnation. Air
quality for countries around the world could worsen in the 21st
century as the occurrence of atmospheric stagnation events - in
which still air lingers over a region - increases due to
climate-change-related shifts in global wind and rainfall
patterns, according to new research by scientists at Stanford
University. Posted.
http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/latest-news/9606-hot-cities-climate-change-may-lead-to-air-stagn
ation.html
Marin 'carbon farming' project offers hope on global warming.
Sprawled on the hillside at Nicasio Native Grass Ranch, Peggy
Wick showed off a patch of grass nourished by compost Sunday, an
approach some say could help prevent global warming. The soil in
a 2.5-acre plot of land can remove 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere in a year with the application of one-half
inch of organic matter…Posted.
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_26058891/marin-carbon-farming-project-offers-hope-global-warming
City power department could be forced to make nation's sharpest
carbon emissions cut. The power department in Los Angeles could
be required to implement the country's most aggressive carbon
emissions reduction program. A Los Angeles city councilman on
Friday introduced a measure calling on the Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power (LADWP) by 2030 to cut its carbon emissions 80
percent below 1990 levels, a move that the Sierra Club said would
be the first of its kind in the nation for any utility. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060002134/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
McCarthy announces new policy goals to address climate change.
U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy today committed to a suite
of policy goals to address climate change, saying there is "new
and stronger evidence" that man-made climate change is affecting
the United States. In a policy statement today, McCarthy said
that EPA would modernize financial assistance programs to bolster
climate resilience…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060002164/print
FUELS
Court won't hear dispute over Calif. fuel standard. The Supreme
Court won't hear a challenge to California's first-in-the-nation
mandate requiring fuel producers to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The justices on Monday turned away appeals from fuel
makers that say the law discriminates against out-of-state
producers. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_CARBON_FUEL_STANDARDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-30/california-fuel-standard-dispute-rejected-by-high-court.html
http://online.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-declines-to-review-california-low-carbon-fuel-standard-1404136650
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/30/4003814/california-low-carbon-rule-survives.html
http://www.contracostatimes.com/News/ci_26061090/Supreme-Court-wont-hear-dispute-over
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jun/30/court-wont-hear-dispute-over-calif-fuel-standard/
http://www.platts.com/latest-news/oil/washington/us-supreme-court-will-not-hear-california-lcfs-21831418
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/06/30/45055/supreme-court-won-t-hear-dispute-over-calif-fuel-s/
http://domesticfuel.com/2014/06/30/supreme-court-turns-down-california-lcfs-case/
http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/Article/3356743/Latest-News/Supreme-Court-declines-to-review-Californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard.html
http://www.newsmax.com/US/court-fuel-standard-dispute/2014/06/30/id/579965/
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060002161/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
Redemption sweet for Pacific Ethanol. These are days of sweet
vindication for Neil Koehler, who has spent his career pursuing a
single goal: to get Americans to pump more ethanol into their gas
tanks. Working with a passion bordering on obsessiveness,
Koehler has overcome resistance from the oil industry, scorn from
environmentalists and skepticism from regulators. Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/28/4001823/redemption-sweet-for-pacific-ethanol.html?sp=/99/406/
Study finds low carbon payback periods for sugar cane ethanol.
The soil carbon lost when pasture and crop lands are converted to
sugar cane for ethanol production is small and can be made up
within a few years, according to new research. It takes three
years to build back the soil carbon lost when pasture land in
Brazil is converted to sugar cane for ethanol production…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060002163/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
REFINERIES
Appeals court tosses hazardous waste exemption for refineries.
Certain petroleum refinery processes will no longer avoid
oversight under federal hazardous waste laws. The U.S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last week struck
down a 6-year-old rule that exempted some refinery actions from
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. U.S. EPA's
Gasification Exclusion Rule, in place since 2008…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060002126/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
VEHICLES
CARB Adopts Funding Plan for Low-Carbon Freight Transportation.
The California Air Resources Board has approved a funding plan to
encourage the continued deployment of clean vehicles over the
next year. California’s 2014-15 budget provides $200 million
from cap-and-trade auction proceeds to CARB to support low-carbon
transportation projects that reduce global warming emissions.
Posted.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2014/06/carb-adopts-new-funding-plan-for-low-carbon-transportation.aspx
GREEN ENERGY
Transportation plan takes a greener route. Officials this week
approved an $11 billion transportation plan that reduces the
amount of money pumped into traditional road expansions and
invests more in mass transit, walking and bicycling. Long-term
transportation plans are routinely written by the San Joaquin
Council of Governments, but this is the first time officials were
required under a new state law to consider the sustainability of
our communities for decades to come when deciding how to spend
transportation dollars. Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140628/A_NEWS/406280318/-1/A_NEWS14
Modesto Irrigation District corrects fumble over solar rebates.
The Modesto Irrigation District appears to have appeased dozens
of customers by reopening for a short period a window for solar
rebate applications. Many customers and solar contractors
complained when the district abruptly canceled installation and
performance rebates for the rest of 2014 upon running out of $4.2
million set aside for the yearlong program in four months.
Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/06/29/3416184/modesto-irrigation-district-corrects.html#storylink=cpy
What Would It Take To Decarbonize The Energy System? For the
United States to remove carbon emissions from its energy system
in 20 years, it would have to build new clean energy capacity at
10 times the rate it has built existing capacity, a specialist in
problems of technology and public policy said Friday in
Washington D.C. Renewable energy is currently growing at about
half the rate of traditional growth, according to the White
House. Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2014/06/29/what-would-it-take-to-decarbonize-the-energy-system/
MISCELLANEOUS
UC President Janet Napolitano And Air Resources Board Chairman
Mary Nichols To Speak At July 1st State Board Meeting Focusing on
Cap-and-Trade Program. The California State Board of Food and
Agriculture will hear about a new University of California
initiative concerning food, and focus on the state’s
Cap-and-Trade Program and other environmental market
opportunities for farmers and ranchers at its meeting on Tuesday,
July 1st in Sacramento. This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m. at the California Department of Food and
Agriculture, 1220 ‘N’ Street – Main Auditorium, Sacramento, CA
95814. Posted.
http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/mariposa-daily-news-2014/179-june/14092-uc-president-janet-napolitano-and-air-resources-board-chairman-mary-nichols-to-speak-at-july-1st-state-board-meeting-focusing-on-cap-and-trade-program
Bike lanes vs. bike paths: Where you ride may make a difference
in the pollution you breathe -- science roundup. When you think
of the hazards of commuting by bike or just the occasional ride
alongside traffic, what may come first to mind are collisions,
driver vs. bicyclist road rage, and maybe even that special bit
of hazing called "rollin' coal." Actually, relating to the
later, having a driver intentionally blast a plume of smoke in
your face is not the only time you may need to worry about what's
coming out of the tailpipes around you. Posted.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/06/bike_lanes_vs_bike_paths_where.html
OPINIONS
California's Cap-and-Trade Revolt. President Obama has mocked
Republicans who oppose his climate agenda as flat-earthers.
Perhaps he'll be more charitable to Democrats who are protesting
California's cap-and-trade program as an undue burden on the
poor. Last week 16 Democratic Assembly Members—about 30% of
their caucus—signed a letter urging California Air Resources
Board chairwoman Mary Nichols to delay or redesign the state's
cap-and-trade program. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/californias-cap-and-trade-revolt-1403908359
Dan Morain: Cool bid for state’s pollution program is lost on
Arkansas incinerator. Earlier this month, Jerry Brown and
legislators happily carved up $850 million they figure will flow
into state coffers from California’s cap-and-trade experiment.
Brown got $250 million for his pet project, high-speed rail.
Legislators got $400 million for housing and transit, plus more
for alternative energy concepts. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/29/6518049/dan-morain-cool-bid-for-pollution.html
Viewpoints: Oil companies should help clean the air. During the
school year, I drive my two sons, ages 6 and 3, to school in
downtown Fresno. As a Central Valley mom, I have to include one
more step in my morning routine – checking the air quality flag.
For those who don’t know, right under the American flag and the
California flag at Yokomi Elementary is a color-coded flag
representing the severity of air pollution that day.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/28/6517888/viewpoints-oil-companies-should.html
LETTER: Cap and trade legislation good for New Jersey. Senate
President Sweeney along with Senators Bob Smith and Peter Barnes
recently passed legislation that would require the state to
re-enter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a northeast and
mid-Atlantic regional cap and trade program that will reduce
pollution while raising funds for solar and wind projects.
Posted.
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/06/29/regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative/11680247/
Commentary: Working together on energy needs. The proposed
Environmental Protection Agency rules that would cut carbon
pollution significantly by 2030 come at a time when elected
officials in the Washington area have been focusing on the need
to upgrade the region’s energy infrastructure. The EPA’s proposed
rule would help meet the long-term goals our regional leaders
have already set through the National Capital Region Climate
Change Report and Action Plan. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/commentary-working-together-on-energy-needs/2014/06/27/ad9dcf26-f566-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html
LETTER: Global warming not caused by greenhouse gas. The topic of
“global warming” may be the most confused and manipulated subject
since the debate over whether the Earth is flat or spherical. The
confusion derives from the complexity of the physics involved and
the ages-old perversion of the related “science” caused by those
“scientists” who are focused on the campaign for the funding that
is available. Posted.
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/06/30/global-warming/11724055/
BLOGS
Night Vision: China Enlists Drones in Fight Against Pollution.
Watch out, big Chinese polluters: The cover of night won’t help
you anymore. So say Chinese officials who are deploying aerial
drones equipped with infrared cameras to spot pollution emissions
after the sun sets. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said
Saturday that 11 unmanned aerial vehicles were used this month to
inspect 254 factories in the provincial-level regions of Hebei,
Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/06/30/night-vision-china-enlists-drones-in-fight-against-pollution/
Is ammonia the secret to better hydrogen cars? Hydrogen cars are
on their way, and they aren't bringing harmful emissions with
them. That doesn't mean they aren't without their problems. There
are safety concerns about storing it under high pressure, whether
that's inside the car or in a tank at the fueling station, for
example. Also, the challenge of creating a hydrogen
infrastructure at a large enough scale to actually make the cars
practical is a daunting one. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/06/30/ammonia-secret-to-better-hydrogen-cars/
Climate Change This Week: Packing Record Heat, Fracking Leaks and
More! Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more
crowded. Daily Climate Change: Global Map of Unusual
Temperatures, June 28 2014 How unusual has the weather been? No
one event is "caused" by climate change, but global warming,
which is predicted to increase unusual, extreme weather, is
having a daily effect on weather, worldwide. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-ellen-harte/climate-change-this-week_b_5540419.html
Why climate change inaction will cost us dearly. Two important
studies recently released on the economic costs of climate change
show us the very high costs of continuing on our current carbon
pollution trajectory. The first, commissioned by the prominent
bipartisan Risky Business Project, finds significant economic
losses for the U.S. from only six climate damages. Posted.
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/06/30/why-climate-change-inaction-will-cost-us-dearly
California’s Cap-and-Trade Program Will Fund Environmental
Justice. Have poor Californians hit the environmental-health
jackpot? The money raised through the sale of carbon credits
under the state’s young carbon-trading program is earmarked for
projects that help the climate and the environment. And under a
law passed a couple of years ago, SB 535…Posted.
http://greenlining.org/issues/2014/californias-cap-trade-program-will-fund-environmental-justice/
Hacking the climate: The search for solutions to the world’s
greatest challenge. In recent years, weather patterns around the
world have grown fiercer than ever. Blizzards paralyze daily life
across large areas of the nation, while intense heat waves and
enduring droughts cripple food production in the West. Huge
storms threaten to sweep away coastal communities. Posted.
http://grist.org/climate-energy/hacking-the-climate-the-search-for-solutions-to-the-worlds-greatest-challenge/
The secret to richer, carbon-capturing soil? Treat your microbes
well. Imagine if someone invented machines to suck carbon out of
the atmosphere — machines that were absurdly cheap, autonomous,
and solar powered, too. Wouldn’t that be great? But we already
have these gadgets! They’re called plants. The problem is,
plants die. So there’s one hurdle remaining: We have to figure
out how to lock away the carbon in dead plants so that it doesn’t
just return to the atmosphere. Posted.
http://grist.org/food/the-secret-to-richer-carbon-capturing-soil-treat-your-microbes-well/
California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.